What 689 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

ANY TIME I'VE USED MY CRUISE CONTROL AFTER MY CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED FOR THE INITIAL RECALL FOR THE ECM OVER A YEAR AGO, I KEEP GETTING THE 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER' NOTIFICATION. THIS ISSUE DIDN'T BEGIN UNTIL AFTER THE PART WAS REPLACED. I'VE TRIED TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY CAN'T FIX ANYTHING WHEN THE LIGHT ISN'T ACTIVE. I'VE JUST STOPPED USING THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE BUT I'VE BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER NOTIFICATION COMES ON AND MY CAR SLOWS.

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WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE REDUCED POWER LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. THE POWER WAS REDUCED AND WE PULLED OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. WE STARTED IT AGAIN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN SPEED TO GET BACK IN TRAFFIC. THIS HAPPENED ONCE A FEW WEEKS AGO AND TWICE TODAY. IT'S VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS. WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. IF TRAFFIC WOULD HAVE BEEN HEAVY IT MAY NOT HAVE TURNED OUT THIS WAY. THIS IS MY SECOND MALIBU WITH THIS PROBLEM. WE HAD IT REPAIRED IN OUR 2016 MALIBU AND THE DEALERSHIP SPLIT THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. THIS TELLS US THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM.

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WHEN PUT IN PARK, VEHICLE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE IT IS IN PARK UPON ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WILL NOT CUT THE ELECTRIC SIGNAL TO THE CAR. SOMETIMES RESTARTING THE ENGINE WORKS BUT I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE AT LEAST A BLOCK RECENTLY TO GET THE ELECTRIC SIGNAL TO CUT OFF. IT HAS OCCURED SEVERAL TIMES IN MY VEHICLE STARTING ON DECEMBER 24TH 2020

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WHEN DRIVING THE CAR IT WILL LOSE PROPULSION AND POWER. AT ONE POINT IT ALMOST SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK THE CAR FOR INSPECTION TO CHEVROLET DEALER BUT I WAS TOLD THEY WILL TAKE WEEKS TO FIND THE EXACT ISSUE. IT ALSO HAS A SAFETY RECALL WHICH WASN'T PERFORMED DURING MY APPOINTMENT. I WAS TOLD TO COME BACK IF I SEE ENGINE LIGHT WITHOUT IT THEY CAN'T DO MUCH. I USE MY CAR EVERY DAY TO GET TO WORK AND NOW I FEEL UNSAFE WHILE DRIVING IT. MY CHEVROLET MALIBU IS OF THE YEAR 2018 WITH ONLY 30K MILES.

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THE CAR SAYS IT'S NOT IN PARK WHEN YOU SHUT IT OFF. THE FOB SEEMS TO NOT RESPOND SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES IT WON'T START AND TELLS YOU TO PUT IT INTO THE CENTER CONSOLE POCKET BUT IT STILL WON'T RESPOND. IT WILL SAY THERE IS NO FOB IN THE CAR. I REPLACED THE BATTERY TO MAKE SURE THAT WASN'T THE ISSUE. EVEN WITH THE FOB IN THE CAR, IT SET OFF THE ALARM WHEN I TRIED TO START IT. IT TOOK ALMOST 5 MINUTES FOR IT TO RESPOND TO SHUT THE ALARM OFF BUT IT WOULD LET ME LOCK THE DOORS WHILE SITTING INSIDE IT. SO IT REGISTERS THE UNLOCK AND LOCKING MECHANISM BUT NOTHING ELSE SOMETIMES.

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THIS IS THE 3RD TIME FOR HE SAME ISSUE. AFTER A COLD START THE ENGINE WILL START MISSING ON A CYL WHICH RESULTS IN A HUGE DECREASE IN POWER AND RUNNING ROUGH. THIS LAST TIME, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. JUST LIKE THE OTHER TIMES, IF YOU STOP AND RESTART THE CAR, THE ISSUE GOES WAY. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, NO CODES AND THEY COULDNT REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND NOTHING WAS DONE.

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ON DECEMBER 2, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 545PM I WAS LEAVING THE BILOXI CSPIRE STORE AND AS I DROVE ABOUT HALF A MILE, THE CAR COMPLETELY WENT HAYWIRE. ALL THE INSTRUMENTS WENT CRAZY AND THEN I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL AND THE CAR HAD NO POWER.. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE CAR IN A SAFE SPOT AND MYSELF OUT OF DANGER SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD. I TRIED TO TURN AND GET OFF ROAD AND CAR HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL AND NO POWER. THEN ONCE I WAS ABLE TO GET IN A PARKING LOT THE CAR AND SAFE. I TRIED CRANKING THE CAR 2 OR THREE TIMES AND ALL IT WOULD DO IS TURN OVER ARE MAKING A STARTING NOISE AND WOULDNT STOP. THE BRAKES WERE HARD AS A ROCK AND WOULD NOT DEPRESS AT ALL.

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WHILE DRIVING MY CAR AT 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY MY CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON ME AND STARTED BACK UP. THIS WAS VERY SCARY, THANKFULLY I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE AND NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME AT THE TIME. I WAS THINKING IT WAS A BATTERY ISSUE BUT AFTER GETTING MY BATTERY CHECKED THAT SEEMED TO NOT BE THE CASE. THE SAME PROBABLY HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND TAKES A FEW MINUTES TO RESTART CAUSING OTHER PEOPLE IN VEHICLES TO BLOW THEIR HORN OR CURSE ME OUT WHILE GOING AROUND ME! I DID GET A WARNING SIGN ON DASHBOARD THAT STATES STABILITRAC. I DID TAKE IT INTO THE SHOP TODAY BUT FEAR THE OUTCOME WILL NOT BE RESOLVED. I'M JUST TOO SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR AT THIS POINT IN THE FEAR OF AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN CAUSE THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS AT UNPREDICTABLE TIMES.

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WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH ALERT "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". THE IDLE IS HIGH. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND THE ENGINE KEEPS REVVING ON ITS OWN.

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THE ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND SAYS ENGINE POWER REDUCE. I HAD A RECALL TO NHTSA DONE, BUT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND VEHICLE STALLS LIKE ITS SHUTTING OFF OR WON'T PICK UP SPEED.

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VEHICLE IS NOT REGISTERING IN PARK, WHEN GEAR SHIFTER IS IN PARK. STARTED DOING THIS APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO AND IS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE

NHTSA ODI 11377288

AFTER 2 MONTHS OF HAVING THIS CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND AFTER THE STABILITRAK LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHICH REDUCED THE SPEED OF THE CAR . THIS WOULD COME ON WHEN I'M DRIVING OR EVEN IF I JUST CRANK THE CAR UP FROM IT SITTING OVER NIGHT . I GOT IT TESTED AND THE SHOP DOESN'T KNOW WHY IT KEEPS COMING ON . THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS READS THAT THE THROTTLE NEED TO BE CHANGED BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY ISSUE . MY BOYFRIEND BELIEVES THAT THE HUB BEARING NEEDS TO BE FIX BUT WE DON'T KNOW . THE CAR DOES NOT PICK UP SPEED WHEN THE TRACTION LIGHT IS ON . THE TRACTION LIGHT ALSO READS 'ENGINE POWER REDUCE ' BEFORE THE LIGHT COMES ON . I JUST GOT THIS CAR AND I'M NOW HAVING TO SPEND 1,000+ DOLLARS ON A CAR THAT'S 'NEW' . NONE OF THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH MY CAR HAS BEEN RECALLED AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY .

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WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WITH RANDOMLY DISPLAY ERROR CODE SAYING 'ENGINE POWER REDUCED'. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR'S SPEED REDUCES TO ~25 MPH AND IT'S INCREDIBLY HARD TO ACCELERATE PAST THAT. THIS REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING COMES ON FREQUENTLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO WEEKS WITHOUT DOING IT, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL DO IT MULTIPLE TIMES A TRIP. EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS, THE ENGINE LIGHT & TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. THE ONLY THING THAT TEMPORARILY FIXES THE CAR IS PULLING OVER, TURNING THE ENTIRE CAR OFF, THEN TURNING IT BACK ON. THIS OBVIOUSLY IS VERY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING WITH ANY TRAFFIC AROUND YOU. ONCE I TURN MY CAR BACK ON, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON (TRACTION LIGHT TURNS OFF), AND THEN EVENTUALLY TURNS OFF BY ITSELF (GRANTED IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN SOON AFTER). AFTER SPEAKING TO OTHER CHEVY OWNERS, I'VE LEARNED THIS IS VERY COMMON & I'VE EVEN BEEN ABLE TO FIND POSTS ON ONLINE FORUMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE.

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2018 CHEVY MALIBU. FIRST STARTED WITH CORRODED WIRES UNDER THE CAR WHICH HAS LEAD TO THE USB PORT MELTING MY CELLPHONE CHARGER WHICH WAS FIXED BUT AFTER THAT THE AC/HEATER ONLY WOULD BLOW OUT THE DEFROSTER THAT GOT FIXED. CAR HAD ABOUT 20,000 MILES. MY CAR HAD A RECALL FOR THE ECM MODULE NEEDED UPDATED BUT AUTO NATION SAID IT DIDN'T NEED TO BE UPDATED AFTER GETTING MY CAR BACK IT WOULDN'T START I WOULD HAVE TO LOCK IT UNLOCK IT OPEN THE DOOR A FEW TIMES AND THEN IT WOULD START, SO MY BATTERY GOT FRIED BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS DRAINING IT PAID 200$ FOR A NEW ONE BECAUSE AUTO NATION SAID THEY DIDN'T TOUCH THE CAR BECAUSE IT DIDN'T NEED AN UPDATE BUT WHAT GETS ME IS THEY HAD TO PLUG INTO IT TO FIND OUT IT DIDN'T NEED AN UPDATE, THEN THE CAR STARTED SAYING (SHIFTER TO PARK) GOT GM CORPORATE INVOLVED AND THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT 1/13/2020 AT CHAPMAN FOR ME TO TAKE MY CAR IN TO FIGURE OUT THAT I NEEDED A NEW WIRING HARNESS FROM THE SHIFTER TO THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY UPDATED THE ECM MODULE BUT YET AUTO NATION SAID IT DIDN'T NEED THE UPDATE, SO BASICALLY THE AUTO NATION DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CAR MESSING UP. I SAT AT AUTO NATION FOR 45 MINUTES AND THEY DIDN'T TOUCH MY CAR. SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT AND NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. YESTERDAY I PICKED MY CAR UP FROM CHAPMAN 1/27/2020, THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS FROM THE SHIFTER TO THE TRANSMISSION, TODAY 1/28/2020 I'M GETTING THE SAME MESSAGE 'SHIFT TO PARK'. I'M GETTING TIRED OF THE RUN AROUND WITH BRITTANY AND HAVING 3-4 OTHER PEOPLE CALL THAT DOESN'T KNOW THE SITUATION AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS SITUATION. SO NOW THE MILES ARE AT 59,000 MILES NO WARRANTY. THIS ISN'T A RELIABLE CAR. GM SAID IS OUR FAULT WHY THIS HAPPEN THAT IS WHAT TAYLOR THE ADVISOR TOLD US TODAY 2/3/2020. STILL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE PARK TO SHIFT AS OF 11/24/2020.

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DELAYED ECCEL ELECTRICAL STEERING AN BATTERY LOSS. TIRE LOW WARNING RESET FOR ALL TIRES CONTINUE TO COME ON, BATTERY DIES BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER THEY SAI IT HAD ONLY 1 RECALL AN IT WAS FIXED

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WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AS I APPROACHED A COMPLETE STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS BUT UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE, UNTIL IT IS JUMP STARTED IT WILL START, I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. ONCE I ARRIVED AT HOME AND I PARKED THE VEHICLE, IT COMPLETELY SHUT ITSELF OFF AND I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE IT JUST STARTED AGAIN. WHICH I WAS ABLE TO LOCK THE VEHICLE WITH THE REMOTE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NOW ON DIFFERENT DATES.

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P2138 CODE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.

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THE CARS REDUCED ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF, SLOWING DOWN ON THE FREEWAY AND THE TRACTION LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON. AFTER BEING PAID THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS.

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WHEN CAR SHUTS DOWN WHILE WAITING FOR GREEN LIGHT TO CHANGE, CAR SHUTS OFF AND WHEN IT TURNS BACK ON, I HAVE A WARNING SIGN THAT APPEARS ON MY DASHBOARD THAT SAYS "STEERING ASSIST IS REDUCED, DRIVE WITH CARE" AND THEN IT DISAPPEARS. NO ISSUES WITH CAR JUST THAT WARNING SIGN.

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WHEN PUTTING MY CAR IN PARK TO TURN OFF, THE CAR DOESN'T RECOGNIZE IT'S IN PARK AND THUS WON'T TURN OFF. AS SUCH, I CANNOT LEAVE THE VEHICLE.

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THE CHECK ENGINE HAS COME ON THREE TIMES ALREADY SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE... EVERYTIME THE CODE IS FOR EMISSIONS SYSTEM. WE HAVE REPLACES THE VALVE AND THE CANISTER FOR EMISSIONS AND THE ENGINE LIGHT STILL COMES ON.. ALSO THE SHIFT TO PARK ISSUE.

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I WAS DRIVING ALONG LIKE NORMAL AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED RUNNING. WE CANNOT GET IT TO START. WE TRIED JUMPING IT, BUT NO LUCK. I HAVE A BRAND NEW BATTERY, SO IT'S NOT THE BATTERY.

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I WAS DRIVING MY CAR THIS MORNING THIS HAPPENED 4 TIMES, I WAS IN A STOP WHEN I WOULD RESTART THE CAR TO GO MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD DO A QUICK SHIFT TO THE LEFT THEN BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION THEN I WOULD GET THE STEERING ASSIST REDUCED SIGN FOR SECOND THEN DISAPPEAR. IT DID IT 4 TIMES IN A MATTER OF AN HOUR AND A HALF. AND DID IT ONCE LAST WEEK WITH NO MASSAGE DISPLAY.

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CAR WENT BACK TO DEALERSHIP MONDAY BECAUSE OF PROBLEM I HAD LAST YEAR. LIGHTS COMES ON IN DASHBOARD : STABILTRACK, ENGINE ICON, REDUCED STEERING, LOW FUEL. ON MY WAY TO WORK MONDAY JUST MADE IT OUT MY DRIVEWAY AND STARTED UP THE HILL AND THE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING. BRAKES HAD TO BE PUSHED ASK THE WAY TO THE FLOOR FOR IT TO STOP ROLLING BACK DOWN THE HILL. I LET IT ROLL BACK TO GET THE CAR OUT OF STREET. THE CAR WOULDN'T TURN OFF WHEN I PRESSED THE START/STOP BUTTON. PRESSED THE BUTTON AGAIN THE CAR TURNS OFF BUT ALL LIGHTS ARE ON IN THE DASH. PRESS BUTTON AGAIN AND LIGHTS GO OUT BUT THE START BUTTON IS LIT. SHIFT TO PARK COMES ON DASH. IT'S IN PARK. COULDN'T GET ENGINE TO TURN ON. COULDN'T MOVE GEAR SHIFT THAT HAS NO LIGHTS ON COLUMN OR DASH TO TELL WHAT GEAR IT'S IS IN. GOT CAR TOWED TO GREENWAY IN TUSCUMBIA, AL. HAD TO FIND A RIDE TO & FROM WORK BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LONER .PICKED CAR UP TUESDAY(THEY SAID THE BATTERY NEEDED TO CHARGED & THERE WAS A RECALL THEY FIXED) MADE IT HOME OK. WENT TO STORE, NO PROBLEM. GOT IN CAR TO GO TO WORK WEDNESDAY AND IT STARTS ACTING UP AGAIN. AND WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AT WORK, THERE WAS SMELL LIKE THE BRAKES WERE REALLY HOT. CALLED DEALERSHIP DIDN'T GET THROUGH TO SERVICE BUT GUY SAID HE WOULD GET MY NUMBER & HAVE SOMEONE CALL, NO ONE DID. GOT IN CAR TO LEAVE WORK THE LIGHTS STARTED AGAIN BUT I WAS ABLE TO COME HOME WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENTS. THE ENGINE ICON WAS STILL ON THOUGH. I'M SICK OF THIS CAR! AND I'M TIRED OF GOING TO THE DEARSHIP EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS OR EVERY 2 WEEKS! BUY THIS LEMON BACK!

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THE VEHICLE ENGINE REDUCED POWER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING ABRUPT DROP IN SPEED TO LOWER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND A BUMPER TO BUMPER COLLISION.

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